Successful and Delicious 62nd Annual Chicken Broil

Co-chairperson Michael Tindall refers to it as "Our Community" Chicken Broil because it takes the entire community to make it run and keep the traditions alive!

Thursday, of course, was the Manchester Community Chicken Broil. It would have been pretty hard to miss if you came anywhere near the village limits as the population of Manchester more than quadrupled for the evening! With perfect weather, hundreds and hundreds of volunteers, and 9,500 chicken halves consumed, this year’s Chicken Broil was an unequivocal success!

Michael Tindall, Co-Chairman of the Chicken Broil believes this was one of the most successful broils ever. He explained why, “The weather was perfect, the atmosphere on the field was overwhelmingly positive, the chickens were very good size and done to perfection. I have heard comments from people that have regularly attended our broil that this year's dinner was the best ever. The camaraderie between fellow community members was as great as ever.”

Numbers are still coming in, but 8,270 meals were served. The remaining chicken halves were either sold or eaten by hungry workers after the Broil. The largest percentage of dinners were purchased through the Drive-Thru. This was only the second year that was an option. Tindall, commenting on coming in just short of a sell-out said, “Just by getting our community to come out and enjoy themselves while raising money that will go back to our community, how can that not be a success?” Profits won’t be known for several months as all the bills come in for the supplies, but all the profits go back into our community!

The Chicken Broil is one of the few days of the year that Blacksmith Shop's doors are opened wide and the community can come in and watch blacksmithing in action, courtesy of the Manchester Historical Society.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.